Places for the public service that now we descend to a more distinct explication of particulars, wherein those Rules have their special efficacy. 11. Solemn duties of public service to be done unto God, must have their Places set and prepared in such sort as beof God, seemeth actions of that regard. Adam, even during the space of his small continuance in Paradise, had where to present himself before the Lord. Adam's sons had out of Gen. iii. 8. Gen. iv. 3. Gen. xiii. 4. xxi. 33. Paradise in like sort whither to bring their sacrifices. The Patriarchs used altars, and mountains, and groves, to the xxii. 2. self-same purpose. In the vast Wilderness, when the people of God had themselves no settled habitation, yet a moveable Exod. Tabernacle they were commanded of God to make. The like charge was given them against the time they should come to settle themselves in the land which had been promised unto their fathers, "Ye shall seek that place xii.5-7. which the Lord your God shall choose." When God had xxvi. Deut. iii. 1. vi. 7. Psal. cxxxii. 3-5. 2 Chron. chosen Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem Mount Moriah, there to have his standing habitation made, it was in the chiefest 2 Chron. of David's desires to have performed so good a work. His grief was no less that he could not have the honour to build God a Temple, than their anger is at this day, who bite asunder their own tongues with very wrath, that they have not as yet the power to pull down the Temples which they never built, and to level them with the ground. It was no mean thing which he purposed. To perform a work so majestical and stately was no small charge. Therefore he incited all men unto bountiful contribution, and procured 1 Chron. towards it with all his power, gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, precious stones, in great abundance. Yea, moreover, "Be1 Chron. cause I have (saith David) a joy in the House of my God, I xxix.3,4. have of mine own gold and silver, besides all that I have xxii. 14. Ezra iii. 12, Hag. ii. 3. prepared for the House of the Sanctuary, given to the House of my God three thousand talents of gold, even gold of Ophir, [and] seven thousand talents of fined silver." After the overthrow of this first House of God, a second was instead thereof erected; but with so great odds, that they wept which had seen the former, and beheld how much this latter came behind it, the beauty whereof notwithstanding was such, that even this was also the wonder of the whole world. Besides which Temple, there were both in other parts of the land, and even in Jerusalem, by process of time, no small number of Synagogues for men to resort unto. i. 13. Our Saviour himself, and after him the Apostles, frequented both the one and the other. The Church of Christ which was in Jerusalem, and held that profession which had not the public allowance and countenance of authority, could not Acts so long use the exercise of Christian Religion but in private ii. 1, 46. only. So that as Jews they had access to the Temple and Synagogues, where God was served after the custom of the Law; but for that which they did as Christians, they were of necessity forced other where to assemble themselves. And as God gave increase to his Church, they sought out both there and abroad for that purpose not the fittest (for so the times would not suffer them to do), but the safest places they could. In process of time some whiles by sufferance, some whiles by special leave and favour, they began to erect to themselves Oratories; not in any sumptuous or stately manner, which neither was possible by reason of the poor estate of the Church, and had been perilous in regard of the world's envy towards them. At length, when it pleased God to raise up Kings and Emperors favouring sincerely the Christian truth, that which the Church before either could not or durst not do, was with all alacrity performed.* Temples were in all places erected: no cost was spared, nothing judged too dear which that way should be spent. The whole world did seem to exult, that it had occasion of pouring out gifts to so blessed a purpose. That cheerful devotion which David this way did exceedingly 1 Chron. delight to behold, and wish that the same in the Jewish 18. people might be perpetual, was then in Christian people every where to be seen. Their actions, till this day always accustomed to be spoken of with great honour, are now called openly into question. They, and as many as have been followers of their example in that thing, we especially that worship God, either in Temples which their hands made, or which other men sithence have framed by the like pattern, are in that respect charged no less than with the very sin of idolatry. Our Churches, in the foam of that good spirit which directeth such fiery tongues, they term spitefully the Temples of Baal, idol Synagogues, abominable Styes. xxix. 17, [Tillemont has remarked that the first Church which history gives any certain information of, was built by Gregory Thaumaturgus, bishop of Neocæsaria, about A. D. 245. GREG. NYss. de Vit. Greg. Thaum. Vol. III. p. 554. and TILL. in Greg. Thaum. Tom. IV. p. 679.] The 80 lemnity ing con by Bar. and de of them p. 141. 12. Wherein the first thing which moveth them thus to of erect cast up their poison, are certain solemnities usual at the Churches first erection of Churches. Now, although the same should demned be blame-worthy, yet this age (thanks be to God) hath reaP. 130. sonably well forborne to incur the danger of any such The bal. lowing blame. It cannot be laid unto many men's charge at this dicating day living, either that they have been so curious as to trouble scorned, Bishops with placing the first stone in the Churches they built, or so scrupulous as after the erection of them to make any great ado for their Dedication. In which kind notwithstanding, as we do neither allow unmeet, nor purpose the stiff defence of, any unnecessary custom heretofore received ;* so we know no reason wherefore Churches should be the worse, if at the first erecting of them, at the making of them public, at the time when they are delivered, as it were, into God's own possession, and when the use whereunto they shall ever serve is established, Ceremonies, fit to betoken such intents, and to accompany such actions, be usual, as in the purest times they have been.+ When Constantine had finished an House for the service of God at Jerusalem, the Dedication he judged a matter not unworthy, about the solemn performance whereof the greatest part of the Bishops in Christendom should meet together. Which thing they did at the Emperor's motion, each most willingly setting forth that action to their power, some with orations, some with sermons, some with the sacrifice of prayers unto God for the peace of the world, for the Church's safety, for the Emperor's and his children's good. Athana. By Athanasius the like is recorded concerning a Bishop of Alexandria, in a work of the like devout magnificence. So that whether Emperors or Bishops in those days were Church-founders, the solemn Dedication of Churches they thought not to be a work in itself either vain or superstitious. Can we judge it a thing seemly for any man to go about the building of an House to the God of Heaven with no other appearance, than if his end were to rear up a kitchen, or a parlour, for his own use? Or when a work of Vide de Vita 43--45. Apol. ad Con stantium. * Durand. rational. lib. i. cap. 6. et de Consecra. d. 1. c. tabernaculum. Greg. Mag. lib. x. ep. 12. et lib. vii. ep. 71. et lib. 8. ep. 63. † Εγκαίνια τιμᾶσθαι παλαιὸς νόμος, καὶ καλῶς ἔχων, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ νέα τιμᾶσθαι δι' ἐγκαινίων. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις, ἑκάστης τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ περιτροπῆς τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν ἐπαγούσης, ἵνα μὴ ἐξίτηλα τῷ χρόνῳ γένηται τὰ καλά. Greg. Nazian. Orat. εἰς τὴν κυριακήν. such nature is finished, remaineth there nothing but presently to use it, and so an end? It behooveth that the place where God shall be served by the whole Church, be a public place, for the avoiding of privy conventicles, which covered with pretence of Religion may serve unto dangerous practices. Yea, although such assemblies be had indeed for Religion's sake, hurtful nevertheless they may easily prove, as well in regard of their fitness to serve the turn of Heretics, and such as privily will soonest adventure to instil their poison into men's minds; as also for the occasion which thereby is given to malicious persons, both of suspecting and of traducing with more colourable shew those actions, which in themselves being holy, should be so ordered that no man might probably otherwise think of them. Which considerations have by so much the greater weight, for that of these inconveniences the Church heretofore had so plain experience, when Christian men were driven to use secret meetings, because the liberty of public places was not granted them. There are which hold, that the presence of a Christian multitude, and the duties of Religion performed amongst them, do make the place of their assembly public; even as the presence of the King and his retinue maketh any man's house a Court.* But this I take to be an errror, inasmuch as the only thing which maketh any place public, is the public assignment thereof unto such duties. As for the multitude there assembled, or the duties which they perform, it doth not appear how either should be of force to infuse any such prerogative. Nor doth the solemn Dedication of Churches serve only to make them public, but farther also to surrender up that right, which otherwise their founders might have in them, and to make God himself their owner. For which cause, at the Exod. erection and consecration as well of the Tabernacle as of 1 Reg. the Temple, it pleased the Almighty to give a manifest sign that he took possession of both. Finally, it notifieth in Exod. solemn manner the holy and religious use whereunto it is intended such Houses shall be put. These things the wis- 1 Reg. dom of Solomon did not accompt superfluous. He knew how easily that which was meant should be holy and sacred, might be drawn from the use whereunto it was first provided; he knew how bold men are to take even from * [See Sect. 16, Note*, p. 41.] xl. 34. viii. 11. xl. 9. viii. God himself; how hardly that House would be kept from impious profanation he knew; and right wisely therefore endeavoured by such solemnities to leave in the minds of men that impression, which might somewhat restrain their boldness, and nourish a reverend affection towards the named House of God. For which cause when the first House was "holy." destroyed, and a new in the stead thereof erected by the Lev. xvi. 2. The place Ezra vi. 16. Matt. xxi. 13. Jer. xvii. 24. Mark xi. 16. xxvi. 2. xi. 22. Petr. children of Israel after their return from captivity, they kept the Dedication even of this house also with joy. The argument which our Saviour useth against profaners of the Temple, he taketh from the use whereunto it was with solemnity consecrated. And as the prophet Jeremy forbiddeth the carrying of burthens on the Sabbath, because that was a sanctified day; so because the Temple was a place sanctified, our Lord would not suffer no not the carriage of a vessel through the Temple. These two commandLevit. ments therefore are in the Law conjoined, "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my Sanctuary." Out of those 1 Cor. the Apostle's words, "Have ye not houses to eat and drink [in]?" albeit Temples, such as now, were not then erected for the exercise of Christian Religion, it hath been nevertheless not absurdly conceived, that he teacheth what difference should be made between house and house; that what fit for the dwelling-place of God, and what for man's habitation he sheweth; he requireth that Christian men at their own home take common food, and in the House of the Lord none but that food which is heavenly; he instructeth them, that as in the one place they use to refresh their bodies, so they may in the other learn to seek the nourishment of their souls; and as there they sustain temporal life, so here they would learn to make provision for eternal. Christ could not suffer that the Temple should serve for a place of mart, nor the Apostle of Christ that the Church should be made an inn. When therefore we sanctify or hallow Churches, that which we do is only to testify, that we make them places of public resort, that we invest God himself with them, that we sever them from common uses. In which action, other solemnities than such as are decent and fit for that purpose we approve none. Indeed, we condemn not all as unmeet, the like whereunto have been either devised or used haply amongst Idolaters. For why should conformity with them in matter of opinion be lawful, when |